Remembering Retired Piano Teacher Carole Houghton, 1933-2024

Carole M. Houghton

March 25, 1933 ~ October 24, 2024

It is with great sadness that we share that longtime CMS piano teacher and accompanist, Carole Houghton, 91, of Whitehall, passed away at her home on Thursday, October 24, 2024.

Born in Brooklyn, NY, Carole dedicated her life to music and to teaching. She began piano lessons at the age of five, and credited her mother’s constant reminders “to go and practice” that let her see the many rewards of that consistent practice. In high school, she was consumed with her love of the piano and practiced two to three hours each day. This dedication earned her a role as a regular soloist in the school’s annual piano recital. She once performed a solo in a group piano performance with 12 students playing six grand pianos.

Carole earned a B.S.M. from Manhattanville College, and an M.M. in Music Education from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. She also completed a two-year post-graduate course in piano pedagogy at The Frances Clark Center for Keyboard Pedagogy (formerly The New School for Music Study) in Princeton, New Jersey. Even at the end of her teaching career, she embraced new technology and continued to educate herself on new methods of teaching to help meet the needs of all her students.

Carole joined the CMS faculty in 1995 and taught hundreds of students during her 25+ year career. She retired from CMS in 2022 after teaching online lessons during the first two years of the pandemic. Several of her students are still enrolled at CMS. She loved working with students of all ages and abilities, including those on the Autism spectrum and those with other learning differences. She was a gentle and kind teacher, but was always direct and honest, and full of wisdom and wit. Above all, Carole was loved and respected by her students, fellow teachers, and staff, and will be greatly missed.

At home, Carole enjoyed the antics of her Yorkshire Terriers, keeping in touch with family and friends with thoughtful electronic Jacquie Lawson greeting cards, and relishing in the accomplishments of her numerous nieces and nephews. In addition to teaching at CMS, she served as a church organist, and was a faithful member of St. John Fisher Catholic Church in Catasauqua.

“Just as a child starts out small and over time grows and matures, so with patience and lots of practice one can become accomplished in the art of making beautiful music on the piano. More practice – more results! Less practice – less results!”

~ Carole Houghton (1933-2024)